COUNCIL tax payers in North Yorkshire can expect a higher bill for police services next year.

The county force was granted a 76 per cent increase in funding from local people last year.

Planning is about to start for its next budget, with communities consulted during the next few months.

Although the amount the force will get from the Government is not yet known, it is feared that the settlement may not cover costs that have risen with inflation.

It is estimated the force will need an additional £4.4m to continue providing present levels of service, and Chief Constable Della Cannings has said there is an opportunity to invest more resources in the service for additional improvements.

Ms Cannings said there were opportunities to build on last year's budget, where a substantial injection of money was given to the force for investment in the service.

"In the six months since this money was made available, police numbers have risen to over 1,500, 37 Police Community Support Officers have been recruited, with more to come later in the year, and case-building teams have been established which will enable us to bring more people to justice faster and also to release 80 officers back on to the beat."

In addition, the Automatic Number Plate Recognition System had been deployed which would enable the force to target travelling criminals more effectively. Also, a crime bureau had been established to provide a better system for the public to report crimes.

"Underpinning all of this, Operation Delivery has resulted in over 1,600 arrests since early September, currently giving NYP the second highest detection rate in the country," she said.

The chairman of the authority's community engagement board, Councillor Carl Les, said there were difficult funding issues and there were difficult choices to make.

"We will be robustly scrutinising current police expenditure to ensure that the force is making efficient use of existing resources," he said.